New York
New York (State) State Information
www.state.ny.us
Area (sq mi):: 54556.00 (land 47213.79; water 7342.22) Population per square mile: 407.80
Population 2005: 19,254,630 State rank: 0 Population change: 2000-20005 1.50%; 1990-2000 5.50% Population 2000: 18,976,457 (White 62.00%; Black or African American 15.90%; Hispanic or Latino 15.10%; Asian 5.50%; Other 10.60%). Foreign born: 20.40%. Median age: 35.90
Income 2000: per capita $23,389; median household $43,393; Population below poverty level: 14.60% Personal per capita income (2000-2003): $34,897-$36,112
Unemployment (2004): 5.80% Unemployment change (from 2000): 1.30% Median travel time to work: 31.70 minutes Working outside county of residence: 35.40%
List of New York counties:
New York Parks
- US National Parks
- Urban Parks
- State Parks
- Parks and Conservation-Related Organizations - US
- National Wildlife Refuges
- National Scenic Byways
- National Heritage Areas
- National Forests
New York
Eleventh state; adopted the U.S. Constitution on July 26, 1788
Capital: Albany Nickname: The Empire State State motto: Excelsior (Latin “Ever upward”) State animal: Beaver (Castor canadensis) State beverage: Milk State bird: Bluebird (Sialia sialis) State bush: Lilac State freshwater fish: Brook or speckled trout (Salvelinus
fontinalis); saltwater: Striped bass State flower: Rose (genus Rosa) State fossil: Eurypterus remipes (distant relative of the
horseshoe crab) State fruit: Apple (Malus sylvestris) State gem: Garnet State insect: Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens) State muffin: Apple muffin State reptile: Common snapping turtle State shell: Bay scallop (Agropecten irradians) State tree: Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
More about state symbols at:
www.dos.state.ny.us/kids_room/index.html
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1887.html
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 545 AnnivHol-2000, p. 123
STATE OFFICES:
State web site: www.state.ny.us
Office of the Governor State Capitol Executive Chamber Albany, NY 12224 518-474-8390 fax: 518-474-1513 www.state.ny.us/governor
Secretary of State 41 State St Albany, NY 12231 518-474-0050 fax: 518-474-4765 www.dos.state.ny.us
New York State Library Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12230 518-474-5355 fax: 518-474-5786 www.nysl.nysed.gov
Legal Holidays:
New York
a state in the USA, on the Atlantic coast, bordering on Canada. It includes Long Island. New York has an area of 128,400 sq km and a population of 18.2 million (1970), 85.6 percent of whom are urban dwellers. The capital is Albany, and the largest cities and chief industrial centers are New York, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.
Much of the state is occupied by spurs of the Appalachians, reaching a height of 1,628 m in the Adirondack Mountains in the northeast. In the southwest, the rim of the Appalachian Plateau has a maximum elevation of 656 m. New York has a moderate, humid climate. Average monthly temperatures range from -8°C to 23°C, and the annual precipitation is 800–1,000 mm. The largest rivers are the Hudson, which is linked with the Great Lakes system, the Mohawk, and the St. Lawrence. There are coniferous and mixed forests.
New York is one of the most densely populated and economically developed states in the USA. Although it was supplanted by California in 1960 as the most populous state, it leads the nation in industrial production, financial transactions, bank deposits, and commerce. Of the state’s more than 7 million gainfully employed persons, approximately 25 percent are engaged in industry, 2 percent in agriculture, and almost 30 percent in commerce and finance. In 1970, 8,000 persons were employed in the mining industry, and 1.8 million, in manufacturing. Mineral resources include zinc (55,000 tons) and salt (about 5 million tons); building materials, abrasives, and titanium concentrates are also produced.
Major branches of manufacturing are the garment and printing and publishing industries (chiefly in New York City), the production of electrical and electronic equipment and optical goods, shipbuilding, the aerospace industry, and the production of industrial machinery. Other important industries include ferrous (chiefly in Buffalo) and nonferrous metallurgy; the chemical, oil-refining, food, and shoe industries; and aluminium smelting. Large hydroelectric power plants have been built on the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers. In 1972 the state’s electric power stations had a rated capacity of 24 gigawatts.
Agriculture is oriented toward nearby urban markets and consists chiefly of dairy farming and the raising of vegetables, fruits, and berries. Livestock raising accounts for more than 75 percent of the agricultural output. In 1971 the state had more than 1.8 million head of cattle, including 1 million dairy cows and calves. Fodder is a major crop. Potatoes and vegetables are the chief crops on Long Island, and the area around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario is noted for its grapes and fruit, making New York the second leading producer of these crops. Tourism is an important source of revenue.
V. M. GOKHMAN
The original inhabitants of New York were the Iroquois Indians, who were largely exterminated during the European colonization of North America. In the early 17th century the territory was seized by the Dutch and incorporated into the Dutch colonial possessions in North America, called New Netherland. The town of New Amsterdam (now New York City), founded in 1626, became the administrative center of the Dutch colonies. In the 17th century there was a protracted Anglo-Dutch struggle for control over the area. In 1664, New Netherland became an English colony and was renamed New York (in 1673–74 it briefly reverted to the Dutch). The population took an active part in the American Revolution (1775–83), and in 1776, New York became one of the first 13 states of the USA. During the Civil War (1861–65) the state sided with the North.